Circular-knitting machine.



1 WILUOMB. 01110011111 KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 2, 1912.

1,131,583. Patented 11 19 915.

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APPLICATION TILED 0012,1912.

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GIRU'ULAR KNITTING MAGHINE.

APPLIQATION FILED OUT. 2, 1912 1 1 3 1 ,583.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.2.1912.

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APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2, 1912.

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Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

F. WILGOMB.

OIRGULAB KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 2, 1912.

Patented Mar.9,1915.

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P. WILGOMB. CIRCULAR KNITTINGMAGHINE. APPLICATION TIL-ED OCT. 2, 1912.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

.EwmJc Wilcomb' F. WILGOMBr CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. APPLIO'ATION FILED 001'. 2. 1912.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

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EamkWiZcomb- F. WILGOMB. CIRCULAR. KNITTING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED OUT. 2, 1912.

Patented Mar. 9, 915

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK 'WILCOMB, OF NORRISTO'WN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HEMPHILL MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed October 2, 1912. Serial No. 723,522.

pockets, but while my invention is designed primarily for use with spring needles and for making hosiery, I wish it to be understood that certain features of improvement may be employed on machines of the latch needle type for making hosiery, and so far as the use of spring needles is concerned my invention includes features applicable to machines designed for making articles other than stockings, such as underwear.

1n the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a front view of a knitting head embodying my invention, the pattern machine which may be of any suitable kind, being omitted.

" Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking from the rightof Fig. 1, but with some parts omitted. Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view looking from the left of Fig. 1, parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 is a side view of the thread cutter, clamp and needle evener and the supporting arm for said parts, the view being of the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are views of details.

Fig. 7 is a central vertical section looking from the right of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the thread cutter, thread clamp, needle evener and their supporting arm. Fig. 9 is a plan View of a section substantially on line 99 of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the knitting head. Fig'. 11 is a plan view in the nature of a diagram of the web-holder and sinker cams. Fig. 12 is a developed view of the cylinder cams for the needle jacks and call jacks, indicating also the picks, this view being taken looking from the inside of the cylinder. Fig. 12 is a sectional view. Fig. 13 is a sectional View through the needle stitch cam and associated parts substantially on the line 1813 of Fig. 9. Fig. la is a view 15-15 of Fig. 9 showing the stepped cam for operating the call jacks. Fig. 16 is a sectional view substantially on the radial line 16 of Fig. 10 through the presser wheel and associated parts. Fig. 17 is a view of my improved sinker. Fig. 18 is a sectional view of my improved sinker bed. Fig. 19 is a view of a Web holder. Fig. 20 is a view of a different form of sinker in place in its bed. Fig. 21 shows a long butt needle jack with its associate short butt call jack. Fig. 22 shows a short butt needle jack with its associate long butt call jack. Fig. 23 is a plan view of the presser mechanism and thread carriers and their support. Fig. 24 is a detail view of operating mechanism. Figs. 25 and 26 are detail views.

My machine in the form chosen to illustrate my invention includes as knitting ele- 111811118 independently operated spring we dies 1, independently operated sinkers 2, to feed the yarn to the needles, independently operated sliding web holders 3, which hold the fabric from being carried up when the needles are elevated to take the thread, and which also assist in casting 011" old loops, and pressers 1-4 for pressing the needle beards. 1 also employ needle jacks 5 and call jacks 6, which latter operate upon the needle jacks to move them into position for operation. These needle acks as well as the call jacks are each made up of twosets, one having long butts and the other short butts, Figs. 21 and 22.

For convenience I will refer, in the following description, to long andshort butt needles, it being understood that so far as certain aspects of my invention are concerned the needle jacks might be omitted and the they would knit, as disclosed for instance in Letters Patent of the United ed to Hemphill, September 7, 1909, #933,443. In my improved machine, employing spring needles and sinkers for measuring off the yarn for the new loops, I make the needles inoperative by leaving them depressed below the knitting plane and below States, grantthesinkers. In this way I avoid sinking are yarn to these inoperative needles, the

' yarn being sunk only to the operative needles for making the heel and toe pockets.

In latch needle knitting as disclosed in the patent above referred to the knitting of the heel and toe pockets is done on the short butt needles, the set having the long butts being rendered inoperative. In my improved machine, in making the heel and toe pockets, the short butt needles are made inoperative and the long butt needles are operated to make the heel and toe pockets and are also available for control in producing variations in the fabric.

In order to accomplish the results just referred to, I employ call jacks having long and short butts, the long butt call jacks operating upon the short butt needles while the short shank call jacks operate upon the long butt needles, so that while the operation of the picks goes on in connection with short butt elements (though upon call jacks instead of needles) as in the known latch needle practice, the ultimate result of the picking operation takes place at the long butt needles which are available for control in producing a perfect fabric and variations therein.

My machine is of the rotary cylinder type, the cylinder 7 being driven through the bevel gearing 8.

Needle cams.The cam path for the needles, or rather their jacks, is shown at 9, Fig. 12, including an advancing cam 10 and two stitch cams 11, 12, one-- on each side of the advancing cam for reciprocating work in making the heel and toe pockets, during which operation first one and then the other stitch cam will be effective in drawing the long butt needles down for making the stitches. In round knitting only one stitch cam will be in effective operation. The advancing cam has a cam path beneath it along which the butts of the needles pass, which are inactive. These stitch cams have radial adjustment to carry them out 'of the path of'the short butt needles which, as stated above,I allow to remain down in inoperative position during reciprocating work for making theheel and toe. As these needles are holding the fabric by the old loops suspended thereon the operation of the stitch cams upon them would move them down to their lowest position, or inother words, would give them a movement as low as that necessary todraw new loops, with the result that the old loops would be ruptured. Furthermore, in making heel and toe pockets the stitch cams are adjusted to. draw more yarn to make a looser fabric and therefore if the inoperative short shank needles were made to contact with these cams when so adjusted, they would, for this reason, in

addition to that above described, cut the old loops which are held thereby. I therefore move the stitch cams radially outward far enough to clear the inoperative short butt needles, but not out of the path of the.

long butt needles which make the heel and toe. For efi'ecting this movement, the stitch cams are carried on blocks 13, Figs. 1, 2, 9, 13 and 14, slidably mounted on bracket extensions 14 of the cam box, which brackets are supported from the base plate by post 15. The cam carrying blocks are attached by screws 17 to the-upper one of a pair of bars 16 slidable in ways in the brackets, these bars being attached together by screws 18, Fig. 13.

The lower bars have pins 19, Figs. 9 and-- either continuous rotary movement or re ciproeating movement of the cylinder. The lever 22 is pivoted to the frame at 25 and is connected with the clutch lever by the link 26 and the arm 27, which latter is attached to a link 28 hereinafter'described, which-is attached to the clutch lever.

It will now be seen, when the clutch lever is thrown to the left, Fig. 1, for changing the machine from rotary to reciprocating movement (29 being an oscillating segment suitably driven, and 30 the transmitting gear, all as in the Hemphill patent) that at substantially the same time the segment 21 will be moved circumferentially in the direction opposite the arrow in Fig. 9, and the stitch cams will be retracted radially out of the path of the short butt needles,

remaining however in the path of the long butt needles, the result of which is that the longbutt needleswill be operated for making the heel and toe pockets while the short shank needles which are inoperative and simply holding the fabric, will not pass beneath these cams and will not be moved to their lowest position, which would result in cutting the loops already formed and which suspend. the fabric on the inoperative short butt needles.

\Vhile as above stated the movement of the cam segment 21 takes place practically at the same time that the change takes place between rotary and reciprocating movement, by the throwing of the clutch nearlycompletes its engaging action before the cam segment begins to move. This is true also in changing back from reciprocating movement to rotary. This is to secure proper timing of the movement of the cam to. the change in the movement of the cylinder.

The stitch cams are also capable of auto matic vertical adjustment, for changing the length of the stitch for making the fabric tight or loose, for instance in continuous circular work where it is desired to have one part of the stocking leg, as the upper part, loose, and another part, as the ankle, tight. vertical alternate adjustment, one up and the other down in reciprocating knitting for heel and toe work. This alternate adjustment is to prevent cutting or bursting the loops when the needles which have drawn yarn at one stitch cam are passing in the reverse direction under the same, for it will be readily understood by knitters that these loops having been drawn into the fabric and having rendered from one needle to the next in so doing, should not be subjected to the strain which would result from passing these needles back again under the same cam if the latter were left in position to again move the needles to their lowest limit. To avoid this action I give the stitch cams the alternate adjustment vertically and in unison ust described, and by this the stitch cam which on one stroke of the cylinder is down to draw new loops, will be raised and the other stitch cam lowered so that on" the return stroke the needle, which has just drawn yarn at one stitch cam and is simply holding the fabric, will not again be operated by this stitch cam to its lowest position, but will pass this cam without being operated thereby and then be projected up to receive the yarn to form the stitch, whereupon it passes under the other cam..

The vertical adjustment first mentioned above, 2'. e. to knit tight or loose for difierent parts of the fabric, may be secured in various ways, but in its best form this mechanism consists of a lever 31 pivoted to the cam carrying block at 32 and having its inner end engaging a notch in the post 33, Figs. 1 and 9, to which the stitch cam is secured. This lever is operated vertically by a projection 34, on a rod 35, guided in bearings 36. The cam post 33 is pressed up by aspring 38. The lever forces it downwardly. The rod rests at its lower end upon a bar 39, Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 9, which in turn rests in a channel of across bar or yoke 40, which is carried by a bar 41, operated by pattern mechanism in a manner similar to the bar g of the Hemphill patent. There is one of these levers 31, and vertical adjusting rods 35 for each stitch cam, and both rods rest upon the bar 39, so that when the yoke is moved verticallv the stitch cams will be adjusted vertically through the rods 35. levers 31 and cam posts, that is as the yoke 40 is moved' The stitch 'cams have in addition a upwardly the stitch cams will move down against the tension of their springs 38, and as the yoke moves down the springs will raise the cam posts and cams.

It will be understood that for round and round knitting only one stitch cam will be in action, but both are moved becauses I utilize the alternate adjusting device as part of the connection for doing it, this alternate action being derived from sliding the bar 39. This bar 39 has cam surfaces 42 so disposed that while one vertical rod 35 is resting on the low part of one cam surface, the other rod is resting on the high part of the other cam surface Fig. 2. By this means the alternate vertical adjustment of the stitch cams, above mentioned, is secured, that is by sliding the cam bar 39, to raise one vertical rod and lower the other.

The earn slide or bar 39 is reciprocated by a link and,v lever 43, Figs. 2 and 9, the latter being pivoted to the frame and operated by a link 44, which is pattern controlled through any suitable mechanism. The bar 41, which as above stated is similar to the bar g of the Hemphill patent, is operated by a cam, a portion of which is indicated at g, Fig. 7 There is a contact screw 9 by which the bar 41 can be adjusted, to adjust by hand the position of the bar 41, and thus adjust all of the cams controlled by said bar, which as will be described hereinafter, includes the web holder and sinker cams. The stitch cams are also individually adjustable by the screws 31' at the ends of the levers.

In Fig. 2 it will be seen that the rear or right hand stitch cam 11, dotted lines, is down while that, 12, at the front of the machine is up. The cylinder is on its stroke from left to right. Assuming that a stocking is being knit, the needles as they pass under the right hand stitch cam are drawing the new loops, and when all the active long shank needles have passedthis cam the cylinder reverses its stroke and at the same time the cam slide 39 is operated by the pattern controlled connections to lift the stitch cam 11 and lower the stitch cam 12 so that on this return stroke the needles which .have now drawn the loops into the fabric will not be moved to their lowest position againby the cam 11 and therefore their loops will not be cut on this return leftward stroke, and after passing the cam 11 the needles will be again lifted to take the yarn and will then be drawn down to their lowest limit by the cam 12 to draw these new loops into the fabric, this cam having been lowered, as above described, when cam 11 was lifted, after doing its work on the first stroke to the right. Previous to the next stroke to the right the cam 12 will be lifted and the cam 11 lowered and this alternate though simultaneous movement of the cams will go on while the cylinder is recipocating for making the heel and toe pockets. When,-however, circular work is being'done then the cam slide 39 is at rest, that is, it is not reci-procated. For effecting the reciprocation of the slide various pattern mechanisms may be used. As one form I may employ that shown diagrammatically in Fig. 24, which is adapted to be applied to the 'Hemph'ill machine. This consists of a cam or pattern wheel 45, mounted on the cam shaft 5' of the Hemphill machine which controls a lever 46 pivoted to the frame at 47 and connected to the link 44, which as above stated is connected to the lever 43, this connection being by pin and slot at 48. The lever 43 is on a rock shaft 49, Figs. 2, g) and 24, which has an arm 50 with a roller 51 to engage a cam 52 on the gear 2" of the Hemphill patent. This gear is in constant rotation in the arrow direction. The connections described hold the roller 51 out of the path of the cam 52 during circular work because the lever 46 now rests on the high part of the pattern wheel or cam 45, but when the machine is to change to reciprocating knitting the pattern wheel 45 is moved ahead one step in the arrow direction and the lever 46 falls into the notch 54 under the action of its spring 54 releasing the roller 51 so that it is then free to roll on the cam 52 under the action of spring 54, this taking place at about the middle of the stroke of the cylinder one way while the roller and cam 52 are in the relation illustrated. When the end of the stroke is reached the roller drops off from the cam and the cam slide 39 moves one way to shift the stitch cams 11 and 12 and when the front end of the cam 52 comes around it lifts the roller and shifts the cam slide 39 in the other direction, and this shifting of the cam slide goes on as long as reciprocating work continues. When circular work is to be resumed the clutch 24 is shifted as in the Hemphill patent and the pattern shafts st makes a forward step, causing the cam 45 to lift the end of the lever 46 out of the notch 54 and thus holding the cam slide 39 against reciprocation.

Web holder 0ams.The web holder advancing cams are shown at 55, Fig. 11, pivoted at 56. They are adjustable automatically for knitting to correspond with the adjustment first described above, of the needle stitch cams to gettight or loose fabric and for this purpose they have pins 57 entering grooves 58 in cams or hubs of the arms 59 which have adjusting screws bearing on inclines 60, dotted lines Fig. 2, of arms 61 fixed on the vertical rods 35 above described, so that when the rods are raised by the yoke or cross bar 40 the inclines will move the arms outwardly and through the pin and slot 57, 58, Fig. 1-1, the web holder cams 55 will be adjusted inwardly to have a greater knocking off movement to correspond with the longer loops drawn by the needles.

When the vertical rods 35 are lowered the web holder cams 55, move outwardly, a spring 62 drawing the arms 59 together for this purpose as the inclines leave the arms.

It will be understood that while both web holder cams are adjusted simultaneously in circular knitting in accordance with the changes in adjustment of the stitch cams only one web holder push or advancing cam is effective in the knitting operation.

When the machine goes on to reciprocating work for'the heel and toe pockets the adjustment of the push cams 55 of the two web holder cam sets takes place in opposite directions simultaneously, one being positioned inwardly while the other is positioned outwardly, and this setting of the cams takes place simultaneously with the setting up or down of the stitch cams, for which purpose I utilize, as above described, the same connections which operate or position the stitch cams up or down, 2'. e. the vertical rods 35, the cam slide 39 and the pattern connections. This alternate adjustment of the web holder cams releases the fabric from pressure on the return or reverse stroke of the cylinder after the stitches have been formed.

Ordinarily in machines as used heretofore, the web holder cam ring has a draw cam for operating the web holders radially outward and two push cams for operating the web holders against the fabric. These two cams are hand adjustable to suit different conditions of knitting tight or loose. The cam ring has a shifting movement circumferentially so that when knitting a heel or toe pocket the web holder cam' ring shifts in the direction in which the machine is knitting to bring the web holder cams into rightrelation to the needles. No arrangement has ever been made previous to my invention, so far as I know, to avoid this reciprocation of the web holder cam ring and at the same time to effect outward adjustment of the web holder cams. By my automatic adjustment the push cam which is in cotiperation with the needles when knitting is automatically moved to vary the length of cast ofl or push back movement according to the loop lengths made in the knitting of the stocking leg or the heel and toe, and a less movement of the web holders takes place when knitting together stitches for the ankle and foot.

By having the web holder cams in two groups the reciprocating movement of the cam ring is avoided, and automatic adjustment for tight or loose knitting is permitted in making different fabric portions and because the cams as a set are fixed instead of circumferentially shifting, connections can be readilymade from pattern mechanism to the members it is desired to adjust.' By my adjustment also the inoperative cams, that is the trailing cams of the group in the direction of knitting, is withdrawn radially so that the web holders at these cams shall not push against the fabric which would he injurious, tending to make holes.

Sinker adjustment-The sinkers are also automatically adjusted, this adjustment taking place simultaneously with the adjustment of the needles and web holders for tight or loose knitting in the circular work, or for the heel and toe. The sinker cams comprise two groups of like cams for one feed, one for knitting in one direction and the other for knitting in the other direction for maln'ng the heel and toe. These two groups are carried by a fixed bed the same as with the needle cams and web holder cams. They are shown in the diagrammatic view Fig. 11, which also indicates the relative position of the web holder cams. One group of these sinker cams is in operative position when the cylinder is turning from left to right, and the other group when turning from right to left. Supposing the sinkers in Fig. 11, are moving in the arrow direction, the group of cams c, toward the front (on the right of the figure) will be retracted in inoperative position while the rear group of cams c,- c, (on the left) will be advanced to project the sinkers for measuring 0d the yarn to the needles. The sinkers 2, Fig. 17, have two butts and a double cam path is necessary indicated by a, a. The rear butt of the sinker which travels the path a is the one against which the cam c (at the left of the figure) works when the yarn is being sunk to the needles. The other butt is employed as a guard against overthrow in retracting to receive the yarn, as at a a small cam 32 acting against the front butt of the sinker to pre vent this overthrow on the retracting movement to receive the yarn, which is given to the sinker by the cam Z). Cam 0 operates against the outer heel of the sinker to sink the yarn and the cam c is adjustably connected with it soas to make the path a, just wide enough to allow the rear heel of the sinker to pass through. Therefore cam a becomes a guard cam to prevent overthrow of the sinker when sinking yarn. At the point d of the cam 0 the outer sinker heel travels on the rise of the cam c and withdraws the sinkers from the needles and the sinkers then travel in a concentric path until they come to the cams again. For this concentric travel the sinkers are engaged by the cam piecee. The cam f is a ard cam mounted on a removable section 0 the sinker ring, by the removal of which the sinkers are accessible and which will enable the sinkers to be lined up in proper relation to the cams at this point. The cams c and 6 may be continuous with each other and the guard cam omitted,

For giving the sinker cams their adjustment for knitting tight or loose, each pair of cams c and c is connected to a plate 63, Figs. 1, 2 and 10, there being one plate for each pair. These plates are pivoted to the upper side of-the sinker ring at 64 and are connected with the sinker cams by screws, those attaching the cam 0 being marked 65 and those attaching the cam 0' being marked 66. These screws pass down through slots 67 in the sinker cam ring and the screws 66 pass through slots or enlarged openings in the shiftable cam supporting plates 63, so that the cams 0 may be adjusted and fixed at diiierent distances from their companion cams 0 to regulate the width of the cam path. The cam carrier plates are shifted automatically to move the pair of cams c, c in or out by bars 68, Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 10, screwed thereto, and springs 69, the latter being attached to the posts 70 on the bracket 71 attached to the sinker cam ring 72. The bars 68 are borne upon by screws adjustably mounted in the arms 74 of levers 7 5, which are pivoted to the bracket 71 at 76, said levers carrying rollers 77 resting on the arms 61 at the top of the vertically adjustable rods 35, so that as these rods rise and fall under the control of the pattern mechanism, before mentioned, the bars 68 and sinker cam carrier plates 63 will be moved in or out to adjust the sinker cams, and this adjustment takes place simultane ously with the adjustment of the stitch cams and the web holder cams, all said adjust ment being eifected by the rise or fall of the bars 35, under the control of the pattern mechanism. These sinker cams also partake of the alternate adjustment of the rods 35 during reciprocating knitting, one set moving in, z'. e.-the set at the left of the Fig. 11 When the knitting is in the arrow direction or in the left to right rotation of the cylinder and the other set of sinker cams being moved back to inoperative position simultaneously with the advance, for sinking yarn, of the cams first mentioned. This alternate action is due to the action of the cam slide 39 raising the rear vertical rod (at the left of Fig. 10) and lowering the front rod, the movement of the rods reversing when the cylinder is on its return stroke.

Alternate sinker ca/m adjustment -Jt may be asked why it is necessary to have the sinker cams adjustable and arranged to reciprocate, inasmuch as the sinkers only supply the needles with yarn while the machine is knitting in one direction and the sinkers are passing the leading group of cams, while the sinkers under the opposite or trailing cam are not performing any knitting function and are not engaged with the fabric. When knitting circular work with the machine running in one direction, only one group of cams is necessary for sinking, web holding and stitch forming, but when a heel or toe pocket is to be made two groups of cams are necessary as previously stated for one feed. The web holder cams and stitch cams are adjusted back and forth and in opposite directions, as above described, to avoid bursting the loops. Sinkers, however are automatically adjusted for the following reasons: Heel and toe pockets are made on about one-half of the needles in the circle and at the end of the reciprocation the yarn leads from the thread carrier to the last needle of the knitting set, the distance being about equal tool a little more than one fourth of the whole circumference of the cylinder. This yarn running straight from the thread carrier to the last needle has to be taken. up by a thread sweep when the needles are reciprocated in the opposite direction, and if the inactive sinkers were not retracted at the time this long straight piece of thread would lie under the nose of the sinkers and above the needle evener and would hinder free take up by the sweep. Therefore I retract the inactive sinkers, allowing free space for the yarn to be taken up by the sweep. In other words, supposing the cylinder to be on its stroke from left to right, the leading sinkers would be advanced to sink yarn to the needles, but as soon as the cylinder reverses its stroke the cams of these sinkers, which are now inoperative, would be retracted to clear a space for the taking up of the yarn. This relation of the sinkers is illustrated in Fig. 10, w being the line defining the nose ends of the sinkers, wherein it will be seen that the needle cylinder is traveling in the arrow direction, the rear sinkers (on the left) are advanced and are active in sinking the yarn to the needles while the front sinkers (on the right) have been drawn back by the shifting of the sinker cams so that the ends of the sinkers are outside the needle row, indicated at n, leaving a space for the take up of the yarn at the time these sinkers as a group were shifted from their active to their inactive positions.

Presser mechanism.-The' presser wheels 44:' are set with relation to the needles and sinkers, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11 and 16, and at thispoint the sinkers are always projected inwardly between the needles far enough to sink the required amount of yarn which is always sufficient to allow the lower nose to be inside the needle row allowing the presser to roll on the needles behind this nose as in Fig. 16. The pressers 4, 4 comprise preferably wheels which are adjusted by their rods screw threaded at their ends and engaged by jam nuts is, springs under adjustment of nuts is forcing the pressers inwardly to exert a yielding contact with the needles. The rear presser is made up of a plain wheel and a notched lower wheel Z, Fig. 16, the upper wheel having fixed thereto a pin m, turning in a bushing m, mounted in the block 0 and held by a set screw n, while the lower wheel has a'bushing fixed thereto and mounted to turn in a bracket 7) extending from another adjusting rod 9, which has a spring and adjusting nut for adjustment like that above described. These two presser wheels are mounted one above the other but their supporting and adjusting means are arranged side by side in the same plane and in a bracket '1, attached to the sinker ring. The bushing 0 is of large enough internal diameter to allow one presser wheel to be adjusted in relation to the other so that the notches in one wheel may be exposed for tuckingas is well understood by knitters. In the present instance I have shown the lower presser wheel as notched.

I have shown two pressers disposed at different points about the needle circle for reciprocating work, one being effective on one stroke and the other on the other stroke of the cylinder. In plain circular work of course only one presser would be effective, for instance the needles would miss the front presser because the call jacks do not throw the needles up high enough on the rising side of the advancing cams to bring them into contact with the presser, but ha"- ing been lifted by the advancing cam to be moved down by the draw cam they will traverse a path to have their beards pressed by the presser.

Call jack cams.The cams for the call jacks include a central lifting cam 78 Fig. 12, which lifts the active call jacks to push the needles up into engagement with the advancing cam 10 to be operated thereby, and like this advancing cam the lifting cam has a path 79 below it, this being for the inoperative call jacks vwhich in passing along this path remain down and do not ush their needles up to be operated by the advancing cam 10. The call jack cams also include a stepped cam comprising the upper and lower members 80, 81, Figs. 1, 12 and 15, with a passage way between them, these cams being carried by a slide or post 82 vertically movable in the cam box 83 and connected with mechanism for controlling said cam automatically as will be hereinafter pointed out. This stepped cam as shown in Fig. 15, has its lower member 81 reaching in far enough to engage and elevate all long and short butt call jacks but the upper member 80 reaches in far enough to engage only the long butt call jacks and make them inoperative by depressing them below the plane of the lifting cam 78.

For operating the stepped cam its post is connected with an arm 100, Figs. 1, 2,3, 9 and 15, guided vertically in the standard or post 101 at the front of the machine, said arm being connected to a pin 102, which has a projection entering an inclined cam groove 103 in a. plate 101, slidably mounted in the frame, and connected by a latch 105 with a bar 106, which is mounted for reciprocation and is connected by a pin 107 with the link 28, above mentioned, connected with the clutch lever 23, so that when the clutch lever is thrown to change the movement of the cylinder from rotary to reciprocatory the grooved cam 104 will be simultaneously operated to depress the arm 100 together with the stepped arm 80, 81, and thus the long butt call jacks will be depressed to leave their needles, 2'. c. the short butt needles, in their low position, and hence as they will not pass under the advancing cam they will be inoperative. The latch 105 is provided to disconnect the cam slide or plate 10 from its automatic operating means, i. e. the clutch lever 23 so that the cam plate may be operated by hand to lower the stepped cam for a purpose hereinafter described. The latch is normally held in engagement with the cam plate by a spring 108.

The call jacks are frictionallv held in the cylinder grooves to remain in any position until positively operated, for which purpose they may be restrained by an encircling spring or they may have their stems slightly bent to frictionally engage the walis of the cvlinder grooves.

Picllrs.The picks are indicated on the diagram Fig. 12, and in Figs. 1, 2 and 9, those for narrowing at 8i81 and those for widening at 85 85. The picks are all mounted on inclined axes substantially as in the Hemphill patent. The arms of the narrowing picks are pivoted to the standards 86, while those of the winding picks are mounted on a bracket 87 in which a bar 165 is movable vertically, said bar having inclined ends engaging the pick arms, the bar being raised or lowered to control the picks, the bar being on a pin 166 guided in the frame, pressed down by a spring 167 and pressed up by a lever 16S pivoted to a frame and controlled by the pattern mechanism through the link 169, this lever being similar to the lever k of the Hemphill patent with the exception that it is operated to reverse the control of the widening picks in my machine from that of the Hemphill patent.

Thread carriera-The thread carriers are shown at 94:, Figs. 7, 10 and 23, there being a number of these for introducing different kinds of thread, as will be hereinafter described. These carriers consist of arms having openings or eyes at their ends for the passage of the threads, and each arm is pivotally mounted at 95 on the sinker ring 72 so that it may be raised and lowered to remove or introduce its thread, and for this purpose the tails of the thread carriers are in line vertically with the levers 96 pivoted to a housing 97, these levers in turn being operated by levers 98 also pivoted to the housing and operated through wires 98 Figs. 2 and 7, running to the pattern mechanism like the wires f of the Hemphill patent. The thread carriersare lowered to their Work by springs 99 when allowed to do so by the pattern connections.

Stocking machinei-1 will now take up the order of the workings of the cams, yarn levers and various connections which are successively operated to produce a seamless stocking so called, or a circular fabric having narrowed and widened heel and toe pockets illustrating the making of a ladys stocking. The stocking may be commenced at top of leg or at the toe, as is well understood. In this case I will begin at the top of leg ending at the last course of knitting the toe.

Supposing the needle cylinder is rotating the reverse of clockwise and that the left side of Fig. 2 is the front of the machine. At the beginning we aim to knit the fabric with long loops, making it loose, and my machine having a revolving needle row and fixed cams will be set to knit very loose. The elevating bar 41 corresponding to Hemphills bar is lifted to a high point on its cam wheel together with the vertical rods 35 having the stops or supporting means 34, 61 for the levers connected with needle cams, sinker cams and work holder cams. At this time rod 35 at the right of Fig. 2 will be elevated to its highest position by the cam slide 39 and the front rod 35 (at the left) will be depressed, allowing the cams of the front group 12 or those at the left of the machine in Fig. 2 to be inoperative, having no effect on the knitting. At this time the sinkers of the rear group of knitting elements are delivering a maximum .amount of yarn and the web holders are knocking over to their maximum extent and the needles at cam 11 are drawing down to their maximum limit, all tending to produce loose knitting. At this time also one of the set of thread carriers is feeding what we call the garter top thread. The knitting goes on in knitting circular fabric, a predetermined distance as provided for by the pattern mechanism similar to that of Hemphill patent. Having reached a point in the leg of the stocking approximately at the beginning of the calf of the leg the cam shaft (see Hemphill patent) at this time is moved ahead one step and the yarn carrier is automatically raised from the feeding position and another carrier introduced with another kind of yarn and the same movement of the cam shaft slightly lowers the vertical cam bar 41, which lowers the slide 39 and the rods 35. consequently shortening the sinker, web holder, and needle movement making slightly tighter fabric. Continuing to knit predetermined distance We reach a point near the ankle of the stocking. Another step movement of the cam shaft still further lowers the cam bar 41 and still further shortens the stitches to make a close knit ankle. A short distance before making the heel another step movement of cam shaft automatically brings the high splice or reinforcing thread into play. This carrier feeds a supplemental thread half way around the tube in the well known manner.

. When the-point is reached where the heel operations are to begin the cam shaft is operated another step and the clutch 24 is thrown to change the movement of the cylinder from rotary to reciprocatory, and one of the thread carriers introduces a different yarn or yarns for the heel, the same movement which throws the clutch into the reciprocating mechanism withdraws the stitch cams radially out of the path of the short shank needles, by means of the cam segmen 21 and depresses the stepped call jack cam 80, 81 through the connections above described operated through the link 28 and at this time all the long butt call jacks are on the opposite side of the machine from the stepped cam so that when the cylinder turns in the opposite direction all the long butts come into engagement with the upper cam 80 of the stepped cam and are depressed into a lower position than that which they occupied when knitting circular work, and this upper cam 80 being farther away from the cylinder than the lower cam 81, the short butts of the call jacks do not come in contact with the upper cam 80 and therefore they continue in their operative position in the higher plane. The cylinder is now reciprocated in the ordinary way and approximately half of the needles. '2'. 6. those controlled by} the long butt call jacks are inoperative, re-

maining in a low, plane because their call jacks remain lowered and the hook end of the .needles are now too low to receive yarn from the sinkers, the sinkers feeding only 'such needles as are being operated upon to elevate them by the call jacks operated by the call jack lifting cam 78.

At each reciprocation the narrowin picks 84, 8-1' depress a short butt call jack,

one at a time, into the low plane to pass inoperatively below the lifting cam 78 and leaving its corresponding needle inoperative also, The picking operation is continued until the pocket is sullieiently narrowed, then the widening picks 85, 85 are brought by their controlling mechanism into alinement with the short butt .call jacks, which picks raise two jacks at each reciprocation of the cylinder and the narrowing picks still picking one jack at each reciprocation the ultimate result of which, in widening, is that one needle is brought into action at each recylimler and at the same time through the cam plate 10% raises the stepped cams 80, 81 which in turn'raises all the long butt call jacks from their lowest inoperative position to the higher plane and the stitch cams having now been shifted inwardly closer to the cylinder and in the path of the short as well as the long butt needles, all the needles now become operative. The vertical cam bar 41 was raised simultaneously with the change from reciprocatory to round and round knitting to knit a tighter fabric and the heel yarn replaced by another yarn and circular knitting goes on through the foot portion to the toe pocket. The toe pocket ismade precisely as above described for the heel pocket, and the toe pocket when completed ends the operation of knitting the stocking.

By having the picks operate upon jacks instead of upon the needles coarse gage acks may be employed to narrow and widen while ducing underwear in which event it would be rotated in one direction only and one set of cams for-each of the knitting elements used, i. e. needles, web holders or sinkers would be omitted.

Sz'nlrcrs and -pres8crS.-I have designed a new form of sinker which will allow thepressing device 4 or 4 to be arranged outside of the needle row and between the said sinkers and the web holders, this arrangement being particularly adapted for use in a stocking machine having its space inside the needle row occupied by thread clamping and cutting mechanism, the arrangement being also adapted for other types of machine, as for instance, for making underwear. A sliding sinker of ordinary form could not be employed on the outside of the needle row in conjunction with a presser device located wholly outside of the needle row because the bed for an ordinary sinker would occupy all the space necessary for the presser device. I ha e therefore devised a form of tend.

sinker and a form and arrangement of the sinker bed by which. the sinker bed can be located above the place usually occupied by a sinker bed and thus leave space in which the presser device maysbe located.

My improved sinker comprises a stem a, Figs. 3, 7, 16, 17, having a shank or shankslfi to engage the sinker cams above described, and an arm c extending downwardly and forwardly from the stem and terminating in a nose of substantially ordinary construction. a The stem being elevated in respect to the work end or arm of-the sinker enables me to employ a sinker bed which is elevated above the plane usually occupied by it and this leaves space for the pressers 4. or 4' which may thus be arranged 'in'proper relation to the needles, sinkers and web holders, namely in a plane between the sinkers and web holders and on the outside of the needle row. The sinker bed is of improved construction being grooved in its upper side Fig. 18, for the stem of the sinker and grooved at d in its lower side for the work arm or lower nose carrying ex- 7 tension, with a vertical opening at e in line with the upper and lower grooves through Which the depending arms of the sinkers ex- The upper grooves of the sinker bed lying in a circle of. large diameter in-respect to the needle circle provide outlying portionshaving .thick walls between the grooves for guiding the stems of the sinkers, and sustaining lateral thrust, while the lower slots being nearer the needle circle than the out lying portions have thin walk but these are 7 sufliciently strong for guiding -.the lower arms of the sinkers which are not subjected I to the lateral thrust of the cams. The butts of the sinker stems for engagement with the cams being at the outer ends of the sinkers low angle cams can be used. The sinker in its best form will have its stem projecting forward of the depending arm and running I in a groove 72. forming a continuation oi the upper groove. This extension will prevent the sinker from tipping downwardly at its be prevented by the lower arm of the sinker 'bearingsuip against the" under side ofthe sinker bed. -This .form of sinker bed provides for keeping oil, lint or other matter frofn passing from the sinker cams and grooves ofthe sinker bed to thejabric;

The removal and insertion of the sinkers is easily effected by raising the rear butt portion and drawing it upward and outward from the machine;

' shown in Fig. 20, form it in 'twoparts, an

r -u upper stem portion a and a lower work portion, thesebeing connected together by the web holder.

work or nose end while upward tipping will As a modifica 'on of the sinker I may, as bed in this case I would use a plate a fixed under the sinker bed to hold the work portions of the sinkers in the grooves.

I The arrangement of the presser device outside the needle row in a stocking machine, as above stated, leaves the' central portion of the machine free for the arrangement of the thread cutter and clamp but furthermore an inside presser would be open to objections other than that of occupying the center of the machine necessary for the location of the other devices. For instance in making a heel pocket, at which time the fabric gathers up, or in case the fabric for any reason gathers up, as in the. case of a defective needle, an inside presser .would be liable to be forced away from the needle and not perform its function. In my arrangementwith the presser outside the needle groove extends circumferentially of the ring,

and it is open throughout, having no radial grooves for these lower extensions. T he upper side of this groove is ground and affords a bearing to hold the web holders against tipping. The upper work end or extension '0, of the web holder runs in radial the guiding walls and making the construction comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. By this form of web holder and ring the upper work-end is bottomed in the upper grooves while the lower extension slides on the plain upper side of the circumferential groove, thusfirmlv and accurately guiding The web holder bed w is clamped by screws 10$), Figs. 1, 3 and 11 to the cylinder, ,p

and the web holder cam ring 110, which overliesand is supported by the bed is held usting screws 111 passing throughears 112 on the ring andbearing upon the sidesof the front standard'101. The web holder cam ring is held down on the web holder bed b against circumferential displacement by adclips one of which is shown at 113, Fig. 11,

secured to the cam ring and entering a cir-' cumferential groove 114 in the web holder Shifting sinker orgdm'edfion. Tlie sink er camring 72 is composed of upper and lower members screwed together, between which the sinker bedis located. This sinker bed has gear teeth 115 into which meshes the which carries a gear 119 at its lower end meshing with the gear 8' on the needle cylinder. 'lhe sinker supportin ring 72 is carried or supported b a brac et 120 turnable on the upper endo the standard 121 which extends up from the'b'ase of the machine and through which standard the vertical shaft 118 extends.- This bracket is also movable vertically and it-carries the shaft with it because the flange 122 forming part of the split clamp 123, which holds the gearing to the shaft, is pinned to the said shaft. Below the bracket a yoke or collar 124 is located connected by a link 125 with an eccentric or crank 126 on a shaft or pin 127 journaled in the standard and operated by a handle 128. When this handle is turned down from the osition shown in Fig. 3, the yoke will-be fted, to raise the bracket together with the sinker ringsupported thereby to the position indicated in-dotted lines atw Fig. 3, and

then the sinker ring, together with all the arts carried thereby may be swung aside 1 ln'the direction of the arrow 3 Fig. 10, this the shaft 118 as a center. This will enable turning movement'being about the axis of access to be had tothe cylinder, needles, web

holders and their cams.- At all times the pin and bearing at its lower end upon the block 131 supported on a pin 132 fixed in the standard. The upper end of the spring pin fits between the ears of the yoke as shown. A dowel pin 133 aids in centering the yoke. In swinging the sinker organization back to working position it is arrested by a stop 134 fix ed to the standard or post 101, which 1 is engaged by a projection 135 on the sinker ring. When so arrested the sinker ring has a notchregistering with the stop or registering by the pin 137. and the sinker-ring will be .held centrally in respect to the axis of the needle cylinder and web-holder organization. I

It will be obseryed that the lower part of the sinker ring encircles the web holder organization fitting closely, when lowered to working position about thecamring 110 of the web holders. This centralizes the xiipper end of the cylinder and the web Holder organizatior and furnishes lateral J support for these parts and insures the true runningof the needle cylinder. r In the .case .of a, small diameter machine and a tall cylring is turnable.

in 137, and thus by lowering the sinker rlng the notch thereof will be engaged.

at the top of the cylinder resulting in a wabbling mction at this point and uneven knitting if no provision were made) to avoid this. With the .sinker organization arranged and supported by the standards 101 and 121', and closely surrounding the parts I at the top of the revolving cylinder the latter will be made to run true.

- Thread cutter,clamp,and needZe venerr- As is customary in. stocking machines which,

make the heel and toe, I provide on the inside of the needle row a thread cutter and a thread clamp. Referring to Figs. 3, 4, 7 and l0 -this cutter includes a fixed blade 138 through a-rod 143,connected to a disk 144- pivotally mounted on the standard at .145,-

the arm 146 of said disk being operated by a rod 147 engaging therewith at a point 'm -line with the axis about which the sinker The supporting bracket maybe turned .upwardly aboutits pivot'145 to remove the same from overthe needle cylinder and thus remove the parts carried thereby from within the sinker ring. This bracket also carries the clamp forthe loose ends of the'threads severed by the cutter, this clamp comprising a -rigid clamping member 150, Fig. 4, and a movable clamping member 151, the latter being of grating form, Fig. 8, and being arrangedbelowthe fixed solid member to shed' dust, lint,-&c.,

which mightotherwise interfere with the clamping members coming close together.

The thread is guided to the clamping members by a guide or guard plate-I52. The a movable clamping membtr. is carried by a block 153, Figs. 4, 6 and 7, on the shaft 154 to which the movablecutter blade is fixed, said blcck being turned by a -pin .155, Fig.

6, on the shaft engaging the block,provision for slight lost motion being made between the pin and the surface of the block with which 'it contacts. The movable clamping memberis held up by a spring 156. Nowfl when the movable cutter bladeis lowered to receive the thread between it and the fixed cutter blade. the movable clamping member will,be lowered' to receive the thread between it and the upper fixed member, the

thread being guided in betweenthese parts by the guide' 152. The movable cutter blade now rises allowing the clamp tobe setfirst to hold the thread, and then the cutter con-' tinuing-its movement upward will sever the thread, leaving the loose end in the clamp. I provide on the inside of the needle rowa needle evener 157, Figs. 4, 7 and 10, to even up any needle which mayhave been bent,

this .evener being operative adjacent the point at which the yarn issunk to the'need1e,' as shown inthe plan view Fig. 10. It 

